Stay and hang with queers in Cologne

The Belgisches Viertel is where Cologne goes to sit outside, with a drink on Brüsseler Platz and no particular next step. Walk the Rhine promenade in the afternoon, or take the little ferry across and lie in the grass at Rheinpark. Before dark, stop on the Hohenzollernbrücke for the view of the cathedral. Later, Odonien in Ehrenfeld turns into a sculpture garden you can dance in, all rust and fairy lights.

Carnival in February takes over the whole city, and the queer parties start a week early. Any other month, a long afternoon on the Rings is enough.